MASL QUARTERFINALS: Sockers lock down Empire 4-2 to advance to semifinals
- Dan Stickradt
- Apr 5
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
BY SAN DIEGO SOCKERS COMMUNICATIONS
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Still perfect at home.
The San Diego Sockers — presented by Kaiser Permanente — used tight defense and balanced scoring to eliminate the Empire Strykers, 4-2, in the Major Arena Soccer League Ron Newman Cup Playoffs quarterfinals Friday presented by Verizon.
San Diego improved to 13-0 at Frontwave Arena, earning its first-ever playoff win in the new venue.
Like a heavyweight boxing match, both teams spent the early going feeling each other out, with tentative offense and solid defense. San Diego had the better of the scoring chances in the opening frame, coming close three times inside the box, but each attempt sailed high or off target.
Empire employed its typical high-risk offensive strategy, pushing goalkeeper Brian Orozco into the midfield zone to support the attack. Neither team yielded an edge, and the first period ended scoreless.
The second period told a different story.
San Diego’s regular-season second-leading scorer, Tavoy Morgan, opened the scoring at 3:29 with a side-volley shot from just above the arc into the right side of the goal. Leonardo de Oliveira set up the tally with a pinpoint pass from the right sideboards.
Luiz Morales doubled the lead with a free-kick goal from the top of the arc at 10:47, making it 2-0. Empire responded just 16 seconds later, as Marco Fabián scored off an assist from Leopoldo Hernandez.
Only 30 seconds after that, Gabriel Costa stole the ball in midfield, dribbled to the yellow line, and launched a blast into the upper left corner for an unassisted goal, giving the Sockers a 3-1 lead.
San Diego extended its advantage to 4-1 early in the third, as Drew Ruggles and Costa executed a give-and-go, with Ruggles finishing into the upper far-left corner at 3:15.
In the fourth period, San Diego clamped down defensively, taking selective chances at the open net while Empire pressed forward. The Strykers cut the deficit to 4-2 on a goal by Mounir Alami with three minutes remaining, but the Sockers held firm to close out the victory and advance to the Ron Newman Cup semifinals on Sunday.
Earlier Friday, the top-seeded Chihuahua Savage defeated the No. 8 seed St. Louis Ambush, 5-1, in the first quarterfinal of the day. Chihuahua will face the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals Sunday at 2 p.m.
Frontwave Arena will host the other two quarterfinals on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Sockers will learn their semifinal opponent following Saturday’s games. The single-elimination Ron Newman Cup semifinal match is scheduled for Sunday, April 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Frontwave Arena.
Tickets for all MASL playoff games from April 4-6 are available at AXS.com, FrontwaveArena.com, or SDSockers.com/tickets.
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